Anthology: The Sweetest Things
by Her Pretty Smile

Synopsis: #17: He followed after her. He shouldn't have, but if he let her go now, he would never be able to forgive himself. [GrayTear]

Warning: Unbeta-ed; may contain mistakes or any of the sort.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail.

Authoress' Note: Based on Episode 200 or Manga Chapter 339. I wrote this fic due to a Tumblr friend's request in an ask game. I figured that it wouldn't hurt to post the oneshot here, too.

#17: Live With You
[GrayღUltear]

• • •

He followed after her.

He shouldn't have, but there was something pulling in his chest, something that was gnawing inside him.

If he let her go now, he would never be able to forgive himself.

It didn't matter if she was already near death or if she was destined to be old forever.

This time, he was going to take care of her.

When Ultear closed the door of the small cabin she was now residing, she let out a deep, almost strangled sigh.

After giving her letter to Jellal and Meredy, she felt drained. Lost. Lonely.

However, it would not do for them to keep her company. It was, after all, probably only a matter of time before her fated demise. She would only be a burden to them.

Perhaps disappearing quietly from this world was the penance she was striving for all this time.

Ultear watched from the window as the sun dipped low in the horizon, bringing the traces of radiance and light along with it. It was going to be evening soon.

What was she going to do now?

Ultear didn't know when she fell asleep.

The sound of knocking snapped her out of her unexpected slumber, causing her to jolt.

"…Who can that be?" she muttered to herself, picking herself up from the cold, hardwood floor. Emptiness was coalescing in her gut, and the dreaded loneliness was starting to seep in.

Though what was more unnerving was the person behind the door. Was it a person who had gone astray in the fields? She glanced at the clock.

But it was so late through the night!

When Ultear opened the door, her eyes widened.

"…Gray…?" she uttered in surprise.

Standing before her was Gray Fullbuster, staring at her with some sort of intensity in his eyes. His posture was rigid, indicating that he had something he wanted to say but was reeling it in at the moment.

Ultear stared at him for a moment. His dark, messy hair looked more disheveled than normal, and he was sweating slightly while panting. It seemed that he did some running before eventually coming to a stop here.

How he found her though was a mystery…

"Why are you at my doorstep at three in the morning?" was what came out of her lips next.

"…"

"…"

The determined look in Gray's eyes intensified, making Ultear swallow.

"…I want to be with you."

Silence greeted both of them at that moment, a silence so loud and deafening that Ultear could practically hear the vibrations in the air. Her heart was oddly pounding in her chest; what was this feeling?

Gray, on the other hand, reddened at what his words seemed to be implying.

"N—N—Not the kind that y—you might be thinking of!" he exclaimed suddenly, a furious blush on his cheeks. "I—I only meant that…" He coughed a few times, trying to clear his head and his voice. "I want to stay with you. Here." The steel of determination in his eyes returned. "I won't allow you to let yourself be lonely again."

"L—Lonely…?" Ultear said in a soft voice. She could not quite understand why she was tearing up.

"Yeah. This time, you have me." Gray stepped closer and smiled at her. "Let's live together."

fin

[X] This is just a side-note, but... gosh, my old oneshots here are so cheesy, lol.